London's business visits rose to record 3.3m in 2014

According to findings from the Office for National Statistics, London welcomed 3.3 million business visitors in 2014, up from 3.2 million in 2013.

The record numbers have been attributed in part to the many flagship corporate and association events that took place, including the inaugural London Technology Week, which was attended by thousands of delegates.

Other 2014 highlights include Advertising Week Europe, Soho Create and the European Society of Pathology’s congress, which enjoyed a 23% increase in attendance compared to 2013.

London saw more international visitors in 2014 than ever before, with a recorded 17.4 million international visitors, up 3.5% from the previous record of 16.8million visits in 2013, boosting the city's economy by £11.8bn.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "These terrific new figures confirm that record numbers of tourists are spending record amounts of dosh in our amazing city. Our status as the number one destination in the world is surely beyond any doubt, and with incredible attractions like the Rugby World Cup heading our way we look forward to welcoming many thousands more visitors to London."

Gordon Innes, chief executive of London & Partners, added: "London continues to attract record numbers of international visitors, injecting billions into the capital’s economy each year. London’s attractiveness as a business destination, its expertise within the technology, life sciences and financial sectors, combined with its rich heritage and world-leading cultural offer, is expected to attract many more millions from the UK and abroad, continuing the growth of international visitor numbers in 2015."

The uplift in the capital was reflected across Britain, which welcomed almost 34.4 million visitors last year, a 5.2% increase compared to 2013. International tourists spent £21.8bn, up 2.8% compared to the previous year.